The present invention relates generally to a device for semi-permanently bonding an article to a surface, such as a picture or poster to a wall surface so as to permit ease of removal without damaging or defacing the surface upon which the article is mounted. Typically, the article of the present invention is utilized to mount pictures and/or posters to wall surfaces so as to permit removal and/or re-positioning of the article displayed on the wall whenever desired.
Frequently, it is desirable to semi-permanently bond one article or material to a second surface, particularly when subsequent removal may be desired. While a variety of adhesives and other materials are commercially available for this purpose, certain limitations exist which render it possible to achieve certain of the objectives of semi-permanent bonding, but which fall short of providing all desirable characteristics for these operations. Also, magnetic mounting or attaching means have been utilized in the past, however these require a ferrous or other magnetic material for achieving their goals. While each of these systems have certain useful characteristics, each suffer from the limitation that they do not provide for controlled removal from a wide variety of mounting surfaces.
It is universally desirable to display photographs, paintings, or other decorative items on wall surfaces. Typically, such articles are framed in conventional picture frames. In each of these instances, the frame is mounted on the wall surface by a variety of techniques and devices. Also, it is frequently desired that means be provided to help maintain the frames in proper vertical and horizontal alignment, and a number of devices have been employed for accomplishing this purpose. Laminates of felt and rubber have frequently been employed, but their effectiveness has frequently been found to be limited and periodic straightening is necessary. Also, mechanical devices having an adhesive on one surface utilized to permanently affix the device to the frame, and a nail on the other surface for penetration into the wall surface to maintain horizontal and vertical alignment has also been used. Such devices, because of the penetration of the nail through the surface, may permanently deface the wall surface, and furthermore, it may become difficult to re-position the article in a different orientation if such repositioning becomes desirable.
A number of patents have been granted which address certain of the problems encountered, hwever these traditionally have fallen short of achieving the goals desired and reached by the present invention. In the Mahler U.S. Pat. No. 2,699,999, a method is disclosed for producing a mounting device which employs a discontinuous wax coating applied to opposed surfaces of a non-deformable sheet. The Dreher U.S. Pat. No. 2,292,024 discloses the use of a dual pressure sensitive sponge rubber device to mount advertising displays on surfaces. Differential adhesives have been suggested and employed, but when permanent bonds are desired, a non-pressure sensitive adhesive is normally employed. The Culley Patent 3,311,338 discloses a resilient pad coated on each of its two major surfaces with the same pressure sensitive adhesive material. Removability of an article using such a device is possible, but controlled removability would depend upon the surface upon which the article is bonded, and not to the device itself. The Frye U.S. Pat. No. 4,310,137 discloses a mounting device which utilizes a splitting adhesive composite formulation, characterized by the use of tissue in order to achieve splitting of the adhesive surface. Use of such a device has been found to leave adhesive upon a surface, and thus rendering the article non-repositionable.
Articles similar in general design to the article of the present invention, but for different applications have been described. The Sweeney U.S. Pat. No. 4,273,827 teaches a dual adhesive coated assembly device for mounting body side moldings to automotive vehicles. However, only one of the adhesives described in the Sweeney Patent is pressure sensitive. The Amos U.S. Pat. No. 3,952,133 discloses a display device for the removable attachment of articles for display purposes. The Amos Patent discloses a rough surfaced, highly resilient body material which is continuously and uniformly coated with adhesives. Differential adhesives may be employed, but the higher adhesion material is utilized against the wall mounting surface. The lower adhesion properties are obtained with this device by controlling the area of contact, such as by means of a rough surfaced resilient body. The apparatus of the present invention overcomes each of the limitations of the presently commercially devices, as well as those disclosed in the above-referenced patents.